An official statement said his active duty assignments included “numerous” deployments to the Middle East. Fontenot joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard this past February, and was the full-time Wing Inspector General and an instructor pilot for the 104th Fighter Wing, based at Barnes air base in Westfield.

On Wednesday morning, he flew the F-15C toward New Orleans for a radar upgrade. He reported an in-flight emergency, before losing radio contact.

The unit’s commander, Col. James Keefe, said in a statement, “We all continue to keep the Fontenot family in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.” According to a bio of his wife posted online, Fontenot’s family – including two teenage daughters – lives in Longmeadow.